1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to privacy controls for electronic communication systems and, more particularly, systems and methods for posting unsubscribe requests from electronic communication through a centralized process and monitoring the success of this process.
2. Related Art
Spam has become an increasingly large problem on the Internet. On a daily basis, billions of unsolicited advertisements are received by millions of individuals. The low cost of email makes it a great mechanism for advertisers to reach a large audience of potential customers. Unfortunately, in many cases, unsolicited emails simply act as an annoyance to Internet users and do nothing but cause frustration and slow productivity. Due to the increasing volume of spam and user's frustration and annoyance, several different techniques to reduce spam volume have been attempted.
Spam filters are one of the most common mechanisms of reducing spam volume. However, the problem with spam filters is spammers easily figure out ways to trick the filters and get their mail through. While spam filters are constantly getting smarter, so too are spammers. In addition, spam filters often require configuration by ISPs, customers or network specialists which becomes too cumbersome for most individuals. Also, spam filters will often block legitimate email, creating additional problems for users.
Many states have laws which restrict how unsolicited advertisements can be delivered. Many of these laws simply enforce that spammers use a valid email address, email does not contain a misleading subject, and that email advertisers provide a means for allowing recipients to opt-out or otherwise unsubscribe. Unfortunately, these laws are difficult to enforce due to the lack of violation tracking mechanisms and the difficulty tracking down violators.
There are numerous bills proposed on the Federal level which propose tightening the ropes on what email advertisers can do. However, these attempts will likely face tough battles, as advertisers will lobby hard to prevent such measures, such as with the proposed Federal Do Not Call List. In addition, the Federal Government also has very little means to enforce such laws and would be limited in prohibiting spam from International parties.
Another mechanism for reducing spam requires a user to perform one of the many types of unsubscribe processes that spammers may use. Advertisers who provide an unsubscribe mechanism generally comply with unsubscribe requests. However, unscrupulous spammers may not comply with any request and will only stop after being ordered by a court. Additionally, even when the users follow the unsubscribe mechanisms, they usually have specific requirements that differ only slightly, but since the unsubscribe processes are usually automated, an error in following the particular requirements usually results in a failed unsubscribe request. Accordingly, a user may use the unsubscribe mechanism to avoid spam from a particular source but may continue to receive spam from this source.
Some have proposed offering programs that tie into the email client that provides the option of automatically deleting spam and unsubscribing from the source. However, a process that is dependant on the email client does not provide a universal solution for email users, since there are hundreds of email clients in use today and more will continue to develop as email evolves to new realms. In addition, it does not provide a centralized mechanism for determining advertisers and email senders that persistently fail to comply with requests to unsubscribe from electronic communication. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a centralized system that can assist users with unsubscribing from electronic communication and monitor of unsubscribe requests by multiple users.